Electives with a total of 54 LP (credit points) of which a maximum of 12 LP can be chosen from the agricultural faculty’s general program

Compulsory Research Seminar with a total of 6 LP:

Consists of a self-responsible literature survey, which will be defended by the candidate. This will strengthen the student’s ability to present his ideas in scientific discussions and help in preparing the content of the master thesis.

Master Thesis with a total of 30 LP

Study Plan

Profile

AFECO students have the possibility to sharpen their profile and choose Electives with a focus on a Major Specification and/or a Minor Specification.

Requirements for the Major Specification:

Modules accounting for a minimum of 30 LP in the Major Specification

The Research Seminar is in the Major Specification

The Master Thesis is in the Major Specification

Requirements for the Minor Specification:

Modules accounting to a minimum of 18 LP in the Minor Specification

Every module can only be accounted once i.e. either for the Major or Minor Specification.

Characteristics of the Specifications

Agribusiness (ABS): Modules like “Investment and Financing”, “Agricultural Production Economics” and “Strategy and Innovation Management in Agribusiness” are central to this specification. Students have the possibility to acquire expertise in modern bookkeeping, different methods of benefit and cost analysis, and operational optimization. In addition, students can get a deeper knowledge of different innovation strategies and the innovation management of firms.

Resource and Environmental Economics (ENV): In this specification sustainability, ecology and environmental policy are core to the students’ agenda. Students learn advanced approaches to ecological and environmental economics such as life-cycle analysis and impact evaluation in courses like “Impact evaluation of conservation & development projects and environmental policies” and “Bio-economic modelling at farm-scale”. In addition, students will develop a deeper understanding about biodiversity protection, and they familiarize themselves with optimal control theory and the international environmental agreements that can be used to develop exemplary approaches for their own research in environmental economics.

Market and Consumer Research (MAC): Students get a deeper knowledge about how firms act on the market and which strategies they use to get a competitive advantage. In addition, they gain deeper insights into methods of quantitative and qualitative market and marketing research, as well as into the communication policy in agricultural and food markets. Core courses in this specification are: “Food Industrial Economics”, “Behavioral Economics” and “Consumer oriented Communication in the Food Sector”.

Agricultural and Development Policy (APO): In this course specification, students focus on agricultural and development policy issues. They learn how to apply economic theory in analyzing existing agricultural policies in courses like “European and International Agricultural Policy” and “Applied Modelling of Agricultural Systems”. Furthermore, students get insights into the theoretical and methodological basics of the “Sociology Development”, which includes social phenomena and strategies at the micro and macro level and the structure, function and change of agri-social systems.